Nikita Krylov looks to move into contender’s status with win over Ryan Spann (video)
UFC Vegas 70 features a main event with both Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann looking to move up in the division.
UFC Vegas 70 continues the run of weekends packed with mixed martial arts action. This time around the light heavyweight division stands in the spotlight, as Nikita Krylov takes on Ryan Spann in the main event.
Krylov is riding a new string of success during this run with the UFC. He’s currently on a two-fight win streak, defeating two impressive names Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir. He picked up those back-to-back wins to close out 2022 which started with him losing to Paul Craig in London.
“After my last fight I rested about one or two weeks before I started camp,” Krylov told FanSided during the UFC Vegas 70 media day on Wednesday. “I had a good camp; it was a good time to prepare and I’ll be good.”
Krylov is coming up on his 10-year anniversary with the UFC, debuting at UFC 164 in August 2013. He was briefly released from the company in 2017 but made his return the very next year. His run in the Octagon has seen some spectacular moments, both in which he’s picked up the victory or gone down fighting. Krylov brings a 29-9 record into this fight and is currently ranked No. 6 in the light heavyweight division.
“I want to fight guys who are near me in ranking. I want to build to a contender fight,” Krylov said. “But this is the first main event for me. Spann is a tough guy and this is an interesting fight.”
Ryan Spann wants to add another big name to his list
Spann is also riding a two-fight win streak of his own. His 2022 was equally impressive, as he picked up wins against Dominick Reyes and Ion Cutelaba in his last outings. Spann joined the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 and has picked up wins against Sam Alvey, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and others along the way. He will bring a 21-7 record into this fight and is currently tied with Oezdemir for the eighth slot in the division.
“I think I will be one or two fights, maybe one contender fight away,” Krylov said. “This fight alone with not give me a title fight.”
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